The Environmental Impact of Oil Drilling
Drilling for oil affects the environment at every stage of the process, from finding oil reserves to waste disposal. Marine life, birds, terrestrial wildlife and workers are all affected, as well as the landscape itself.
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Oil Exploration
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To find offshore oil reserves, seismic waves are sent into the ground, which disorient marine life. For whales, this can lead to beachings.
Infrastructure
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Oil drilling requires extensive infrastructure, including roads, jet-landing strips and pipelines that disrupt wildlife and can erode vegetation. In sensitive areas, such as near the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, such infrastructure threatens the breeding grounds of caribou and polar bears.
Risk of Spills
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Oil-coated bird in Black Sea spill, photo by Marine Photobank
Once oil is spilled, it's very difficult to clean up. It spreads quickly on water, and the oil slicks are fatal to birds, marine life and other wildlife. Spills are common; about 300 to 500 occur each year, on various scales. Cleanup can sometimes take decades.
Wastewater
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Produced water, a byproduct of oil drilling, contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which in high concentrations are lethal to marine life and in low concentrations cause birth defects or impaired growth.
Sludge
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Another byproduct of oil drilling is muds, slimes and sludge that contain TENORM (technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material). Disposal methods of this sludge include land-farming and tailing ponds, which can be fatal to migratory birds. Workers at disposal sites risk inhaling radon gas, which can lead to lung cancer.
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- Photo Credit Photo by Vicky Brock
